'Informing' Pakistan about Operation Sindoor was crime: Rahul Gandhi accuses government
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Operation Sindoor to be in focus at military conclave Ran Samwad on August 26-27
New Delhi: The planning of Operation Sindoor, its execution and the outcomes of the May 7-10 military confrontation with Pakistan will be in sharp focus at a top military conclave to be held next week at the prestigious Army War College in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, where India's top military leadership will focus on the Impact of Technology on Warfare, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday. India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were killed. The seminar, Ran Samwad, will be held on August 26-27 and be attended by defence minister Rajnath Singh, chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan, the top brass of the three services including the chiefs, defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, top officials of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, industry representatives and defence attaches of several countries, the officials said. Ran Samwad has been conceived by General Chauhan and is being organised by the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and the Army War College. 'Ran Samwad was conceived before India launched Operation Sindoor but different aspects of the operation, including technologies used, will be discussed during the seminar,' said deputy chief of integrated defence staff (doctrine, organisation and training) Lieutenant General Vipul Shinghal at a curtain raiser to the seminar. India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were killed. Between the launch of the operation and the ceasefire on May 10 evening, Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, killing at least 100 terrorists, and the Indian Air Force struck targets at 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations. In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Operation Sindoor as a demonstration of India's strategic autonomy and defence self-reliance, adding that the armed forces dismantled terror networks and infrastructure in Pakistan using locally made weapons. Modi also touched upon the changing nature of warfare as he announced the creation of a formidable military capability to defend India's military and civilian installations against aerial attacks and set a 10-year deadline for developing an indigenous air defence shield integrated with offensive weapons under Mission Sudarshan Chakra. Ran Samwad will delve into how technological advancements are continuously changing the nature of warfare and how these changes affect operational planning, tactics and strategies, said another official. Army War College commandant Lieutenant General HS Sahi is closely involved in organising the seminar which the IDS has hailed as a first-of-its-kind event that will now be organised every year by the three services in rotation. It will have two sub-themes: Emerging Technologies and Impact on Future Warfare, and Reforms in Institutionalised Training to Catalyse Technological Enablement. 'We can't stop technology from changing the nature of warfare. But we can study its impact and be ready for the next conflict. The idea of holding the seminar annually is to make it an ongoing conversation,' Shinghal said. Top military officers will speak on a raft of topics including recent conflicts and their impact on modern warfare, identifying emerging technologies impacting warfighting, leveraging and actualising technologies in the Indian armed forces, autonomous swarm tactics, leveraging artificial intelligence for coordinated drone swarm in maritime multi-domain operations, measures to integrate technology for warfighting through training initiatives, integration of unmanned systems in land warfare, and reimagining force structures and tactical operations by 2035. Three joint doctrines on multi-domain operations, Special Forces operations, and airborne and heliborne operations will be released during Ran Samwad, HT has learnt. Defence attaches of 17 countries will be present, including the US, Australia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Oman, Bangladesh and Vietnam.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Harnessing Agniveer Power: Lessons From Operation Sindoor
Agnipath is a game-changer scheme in its overall concept. All it requires is a few modifications to enable utilising its full potential Operation Sindoor marks a landmark success in India's military history post-Independence and is proving to be a game-changer in many ways, especially the close synergy between the three arms of the military, the bold resolve of political leadership, and the effectiveness of indigenous military platforms. It was also the first instance since the India-Pakistan War of 1971 that the Indian armed forces penetrated deep inside Pakistani territory and inflicted unprecedented damage and misery on Pakistan, both militarily and politically. In just over three days of precise and extremely effective strikes, India struck at the heart of the terror network of Pakistan, hitting nine major terror bases, and followed up by hitting 11 military airbases and downing 5-6 fighter aircraft, bringing Pakistan to its knees in a matter of 96 hours. Celebrating the 79th Independence Day on 15 August 2025, India honoured its war heroes of Operation Sindoor with several gallantry awards. Among the awardees, it was heartening to see that two Agniveers, too, were awarded the Sena Medal (Gallantry) for their exceptional contribution during the conflict. It is estimated that around 3,000 Agniveers across the three services were part of Operation Sindoor. And, from all accounts, they have acquitted themselves extremely well, proving the critics wrong, who have been seeking the abolition of the Agnipath Scheme of recruitment into the Armed Forces. The scheme was launched in June 2022, promoted as a transformational reform in the armed forces, aimed at bringing down the mean age in the armed forces and contributing to its youthful profile. It offers employment opportunities for the youth (17.5 years to 21 years old) to serve the nation with an annual intake of around 45,000 to 50,000 Agniveers recruited every year. The numbers could be progressively increased, as required. Those recruited would be trained in respective training centres and serve for a period of 4 years. At the end of it, 25 per cent meritorious Agniveers would be retained, while others would be let go with an exit package called Seva Nidhi of around Rs 12 lakh and skill certificates to help them in their second careers. During the service of four years, if an Agniveer dies on duty, an insurance package of Rs 48 lakh and an ex gratia payment of Rs 44 lakh have been earmarked. The government had also announced that it would help the 75 per cent who exit in their second careers through vacancies in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) as well as in the state governments. A number of state governments have already announced quotas for Agniveers in state services. In a gazette notification issued on 16 June 2025 by the Cabinet Secretariat, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been made the nodal ministry to coordinate the career progression of individuals who have completed their service under the Agnipath scheme, working with other central government departments and state/UT governments to facilitate this progression. Accordingly, the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, were amended, and a new entry was made to Para 19 in the Second Schedule, under the heading 'Ministry of Home Affairs," to state 'Coordinating activities for further progression of Ex-Agniveers". However, these steps are more towards 'facilitating" rather than 'assuring" jobs for ex-Agniveers after exiting the armed forces. This has been causing a lot of angst against the scheme in political circles as well as among the traditional geographies from which the bulk of the soldiers are generally recruited. In addition, there are a number of other issues that require a serious review if the scheme has to realise its full potential. Issues in Agnipath Scheme The first issue and perhaps the biggest concern is the percentage of retention. 25 per cent, which has been currently set in the scheme, is grossly inadequate by any measurement. With only 1 out of 4 set to be retained, it is bound to cause anxiety and uncertainty in the minds of Agniveers and their families. Even the battalions where they are posted would be unsure if their Agniveers, despite proving themselves well, would make the cut. It also undercuts the lengthy and deliberate recruitment process where, after all the hard work, 75 per cent of selected candidates are to be rejected. Also, for every soldier to progress further into the service, four have to be initially recruited, implying a 400 per cent recruitment against existing vacancies, which is quite difficult. According to the data presented by the Ministry of Defence to the Parliamentary Standing Committee in April 2025 (just before the Pahalgam terror attack), the total strength of the Indian Army is 12.48 lakh, while the sanctioned strength is higher by more than one lakh. Specifically, the Army is short of 92,410 Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs), representing a 7.72 per cent shortfall. As of October 1, 2024, the troop strength was 11,05,110 against the sanctioned strength of 11,97,520. Thus, against a deficiency of more than 92,000 soldiers, 46,000 Agniveers are being recruited. Given that only 25 per cent are to be retained, the effective recruitment (or addition) every year is only 11,500. Adding to these figures is the fact that almost 60,000 soldiers retire every year, implying that the overall number of soldiers in the Army will only decrease every year instead of making up for the deficiencies. With India expected to fight a multipronged war in the future, this could be a serious factor affecting the combat potential of the army. The next issue is the term of Agniveers before being absorbed or exiting, which is currently four years. The initial six months are spent in an intensive training capsule designed at the Training Centres, which is just adequate enough for basic combat training. However, to ensure that the soldier is battle-ready in a technical and specialist wing of the army like Signals, Engineers, Artillery, Armoured Corps, Missile Units, etc, further on-the-job training is essential in the battalions before an Agniveer can be employed in small battle groups within the battalions. This additional training can again stretch up to six more months. Effectively, this leaves three years for the Agniveer to showcase his skills and get hands-on experience. Even within this period, the profile of the battalion being located in a Field or a Peace location would make a huge difference in how the Agniveer could perform and be judged to ultimately make the cut into the best 25 per cent to be retained. There is another associated issue with the four-year term. As per the government norms, any employee becomes eligible for payout of gratuity only after 5 years of continuous service. In the present system, an Agniveer would lose out on it too. Despite being assured of a Seva Nidhi payout on exit, the loss of gratuity could be a significant loss. Also, given the high instances of injuries, both while training and in battle (including counterterror operations), the exiting Agniveer would find it difficult to pick up threads of life, despite handsome assured exit packages. However, the most important issue in this scheme is with regard to assurance of a job and ra egular salary after exit. As mentioned earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs has now been mandated to 'coordinate" the future employment of Agniveers. It has asked Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), like the BSF, CISF, CRPF, Assam Rifles, ITBP, SSB, etc, to earmark vacancies to recruit ex-Agniveers, but, as has been seen in the past with reserved vacancies for ex-soldiers, vacancies do not necessarily lead to job offers. The Agniveers would be expected to apply and then undergo selection processes again for recruitment. What Needs to be Done? Operation Sindoor, as well as earlier feedback, has indicated one thing very clearly—Agniveers are proving to be a valuable asset in the battalions. The scheme and the process of recruitment are thus validated. What is required now is to iron out a few issues of concern and improve this scheme so that it actually becomes the game-changer it was envisaged to be. To begin with, the most important thing is to improve the ratio of retention. Reversing it by retaining 70-75 per cent and letting 25-30 per cent go would be ideal, although an initial retention of even 60 per cent, gradually increasing it over a period, could also work. This would not only ensure retention of well-trained personnel but also help in reducing deficiencies in the army faster and improve morale too. Yes, in any recruitment process across industries, all those recruited do not always live up to the potential, and therefore, those few percentages of 'non-performers" can be let go. Increasing the term to five years would give the battalions one more year of using the skills of trained soldiers, while the ex-Agniveer would get the benefit of a gratuity payout. Assured jobs for ex-Agniveers would definitely seal the deal and remove any misgivings in the minds of Agniveers. For this, apart from the declared quotas or vacancies, there needs to be a clearly defined process and an agency to ensure, rather than just facilitate. Accordingly, based on clearly defined criteria within each CAPF or the state governments, a central agency within the army, like the DG Resettlement, could be tasked to ensure interface and facilitate issuance of job offer letters to each ex-Agniveer as per the requirements of the accepting organisation. Thus, instead of the ex-Agniveer running around filling forms and applying after exiting, he/she would get the job offer and joining date before the exit date from the armed forces. Looking Ahead top videos View all Agnipath is a game-changer scheme in its overall concept. All it requires is a few modifications to enable utilising its full potential. Finding the right formula that serves the armed forces best while looking after the interests of Agniveers is the key and could end up as a win-win situation for all. Armed forces will continue to attract the best talent, the overall profile in the armed forces will become more youthful, CAPF will get fully trained personnel to augment their cadre, and most importantly, the career aspirations of youth will be met. The writer is a West Asia expert and a Senior Research Consultant at Chintan Research Foundation, New Delhi. His X Handle is @rajeev1421. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. tags : agniveer armed forces army Operation Sindoor view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 20, 2025, 19:26 IST News opinion Opinion | Harnessing Agniveer Power: Lessons From Operation Sindoor Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. 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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Bhavnagar school play depicting burqa-clad ‘terrorists' triggers controversy; probe ordered
The Gujarat Education Department has sought a report after a primary school in Bhavnagar staged an Independence Day play in which burqa-clad girls were shown as 'terrorists', sparking protests from local Muslim groups. The District Education Officer issued a notice to the Bhavnagar Municipal School Board, which runs the institution, asking for an explanation within seven days, officials said on Wednesday (August 20, 2025). The move came after members of the Muslim community, under the banner of Bandharan Bachao Samiti, demanded stern action against the teachers for depicting their community 'in a bad light'. A video of the August 15 performance, widely circulated on social media, shows girls dressed in white dancing to a song praising Kashmir's beauty before three students in burqas, carrying toy guns, storm the stage and 'shoot' them. A background audio referred to terrorists killing civilians during the Pahalgam attack. Munjal Badmaliya, Administrative Officer of the Bhavnagar Municipal School Board, said the all-girls primary school in Kumbharwada had presented the play based on Operation Sindoor as part of Independence Day celebrations. 'The District Education Officer received a representation alleging that the play hurt Muslim sentiments. We have been asked to submit a factual report within seven days,' he said. The Municipal School Board has appointed a coordinator to probe the incident. A preliminary inquiry had indicated that the teachers and the Principal had no intention of offending any community, Mr. Badmaliya added. 'Students playing the role of terrorists were told to cover their faces with black cloth, but they used burqas as those were easily available,' he said. The Administrative Officer maintained that the purpose of the play was to honour the armed forces for their role in Operation Sindoor, and not to target any religion. 'We are examining the issue from all angles and will submit a detailed report to the District Education Officer,' he said. (With inputs from PTI)
